Sermon Recap | Walking By The Spirit | Shane Mosby
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians is a mark of the New Covenant God established through the sacrificial atonement carried out by Jesus. Those who are of God’s family are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. But what does it mean to walk by the Spirit, and how can one know whether or not they are engaged in that action? To walk by the Spirit is to experience the abundance of God.
Galatians 5:16-26 gives a rather clear answer to the question of what signs/actions are carried out by those walking by the Spirit and by those who are not. Some examples of signs of the flesh include sexual immorality, idolatry, hatred, strife, outbursts of anger, and envy (the full list is more exhaustive). This is sharply contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We can all look into our own lives now or in the past and put clear examples of ways we have exhibited both sides of these lists. Understanding the practical effects of one versus the other doesn’t seem particularly difficult. The question remains, though, of what it actually means to walk by the Spirit.
Old Testament prophetic texts that spoke of the New Covenant were rich with language that spoke of God’s active role of putting his Spirit upon his people (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Joel 2:28-29, Ezekiel 11:19). The language here is certainly different than the Old Covenant Law, but not necessarily at odds with it. In Galatians 3:24-26, Paul writes “The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for through faith you are all sons (and daughters) of God in Christ Jesus.” The word “guardian” in this text referred to a common role held by slaves whose job it was to watch over children going to and from school and to supervise their conduct. The purpose was to draw lines, provide limits, and enforce those limitations. Once those children were more well developed and understood those boundaries, they would become more and more free to move outward and thus negate the need for that direct supervision. It’s not meant to be a perfect analogy, but the point Paul is making is that the Old Covenant had its place and is in no way expired, but serves the purpose of laying the foundational work and boundaries that paved the way for freedom through Christ and the Spirit. We now rely on the Spirit in our daily lives and listen for his word on how to live.
While we rely on the Spirit for daily guidance, we must be wary of conflicting voices. We are human and thus imperfect. If we are seeking to rely on the guidance of the Spirit and not be led astray by the world or even our own flesh, we must constantly test what is good and true and consider: does what I am seeking look more like a fruit of the Spirit or a work of the flesh? In Galatians 5:17-18 Paul makes the case that the Spirit and the flesh are at eternal odds with one another. A few sentences later he also writes that those who belong to Christ have had the desires and passions of the flesh crucified with Jesus. This paradoxical claim speaks to the complexity of what it means to live a redeemed life. We are freed from our flesh before God, yet we must contend with it. These two parallel realities give us the freedom to walk by the Spirit in putting to death the works of the flesh without having to fear and become destitute over our shortcomings if indeed we belong to God’s family.
So the question we must ask ourselves: what fruit are we producing? Are we living lives of peace, love, joy, and goodness, anchored in our trust of God and seeking to love him and others above all else? Or do our lives look more like the works of the flesh described in Galatians 5? Are we living lives in such a way to better ourselves for the sake of God and others, or are we seeking after our fleshly desires? These are important questions worthy of careful prayer and consideration before God.
